Author Alan Kaufman presents Celebrity Gala Benefit Performance for East Village Fire Victims at Theater 80 St. Marks on April 12; Sting and Trudy Styler donate to benefit victims

16-Time Grammy® Award Winner Sting and wife Trudy Styler have donated to a relief benefit for victims of the East Village explosion and fire. The donation will go to GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side), for LES Ready, a local relief network providing assistance to displaced residents. GOLES and other LES Ready partners have been working nonstop since the explosion, providing relief and support.

A gala benefit event featuring performers and celebrities from the world of music, literature and drama (TBA) will take place at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Pl. in New York, on April 12, 2015 at 8pm. Tickets will range from $20 -$150. All proceeds from the theater event will also go to GOLES for the relief of the victims. Click here to purchase tickets.The event is being spearheaded by author Alan Kaufman, and long-time East Village resident and visual artist, Jim Storm. Also working closely with Kaufman and Storm are model Jennifer Pugh and Roderick Romero of the band Sky Cries Mary. Local photographer Clayton Patterson has lent important support.

The theater space and other costs have been donated by Lorcan Otway, whose theater has become a hub of community culture and activism. Michael Chang-Han Liu is donating his skills and efforts. A community rally spearheaded by Lorcan and inspired by legendary performer and LES activist Penny Arcade is planned for 5PM in the theater three hours before the event. For more information contact 212-388-0388.

Contact Damaris Reyes, Executive Director, GOLES, at 212-358-1231 for information on how to donate to GOLES. LES Ready is group of forty organizations and faith based groups that came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy to provide relief and support services to victims of disasters. GOLES, a local community organization, is a member of LES Ready and serving as the fiscal conduit for this effort. To learn more about LES Ready or for a list of members, visit: Http://lesready.org. For more information about GOLES, visit http://goles.org.